PlainSpending

South Carolina Federal Spending

$26,788 per resident in FY2025 - high intensity (rank #9).

$137.1B total · $26,788 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #11 total, #9 per capita · 71.2% above national avg

In FY2025, South Carolina received $137.1B in federal spending - $26,788 per capita, ranking #9 among 57 states and 71.2% above the national average. The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 49.7% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Department of Health and Human Services.

South Carolina · FY2025

South Carolina received $137.1B in federal spending in FY2025 - $26,788 per resident, 71.2% above the national average, with contracts the largest award category.

Total federal spending
$137.1B
#11 of 57 states
Per resident
$26,788
#9 per capita
Latest annual change
+$6.8B
FY2024 to FY2025 (+5.2%)
Top agency
Dept. of Health and Human Services
$82.8B

High per-resident intensity

South Carolina ranks #9 of 56 by per-capita federal spending ($26,788).

According to USASpending.gov, the federal government directed a dense absolute book of $137.1B to South Carolina in FY2025 ($26,788 per resident across 5,118,425 people). Total-dollar rank #11 marks a heavy absolute footprint; per-capita rank is #9 (71.2% above the $15,647 national average).

High per-resident intensity shapes the award-count mix: 55,618 contracts, 6,154 grants, 17,065 loans, and 27,410 direct payments. The most common award type is contracts at 49.7% of tracked awards in the state, with direct payments a distant second at 27,410 awards. Department of Health and Human Services is the single largest federal agency operating in South Carolina, with $82.8B in obligations - more than Social Security Administration's $31.2B.

Over the available history, federal spending in South Carolina has grown 2.4% from $134.0B in FY2020 to $137.1B in FY2025 - against an already above-average intensity band. Combined with 46 counties and top recipient Department of Health Human Services at $7.7B, the trail shows whether the heavy intensity is still rising.

Figures are award-transaction data from USASpending.gov (U.S. Department of the Treasury). See our methodology for per-capita denominators and award categories.

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) + System for Award Management (SAM) South Carolina federal awards (contracts, grants, loans, direct payments) for FY2025 · 2025 USAspending.gov publishes award-level data within ~30 days of obligation; categories follow OMB Object Class Codes. Per-capita metrics use Census ACS population estimates as the denominator.

Where this high-intensity state sits

Total Spending

$137.1B

Rank #11

Per Capita

$26,788

Rank #9

Population

5,118,425

Contract Awards

55,618

Grant Awards

6,154

Total Federal Spending

$137.1B

FY2025 obligations

Per Capita

$26,788

Rank #9

Counties Receiving

46

federal dollars

Top Agency Share

$82.8B

Department of Health and Human

South Carolina award-type mix by count (FY2025)

Awards49.7%24.5%15.2%ContractsDirect PaymentsLoansGrantsOther
Per-state share of tracked federal awards BY COUNT across major OMB-aligned award types (not a dollar-value breakdown). Mandatory-vs-discretionary marker reflects the entitlement-vs-appropriated split.
South Carolina per-capita federal spending vs. national average 83.3%
National average

Compared against the national average of $15,647 per resident.

Awards by Type

Contracts is the most common award type at 49.7% of tracked awards in South Carolina (by count, not dollar value).

Contracts 55,618 awards (49.7%)
Direct Payments 27,410 awards (24.5%)
Loans 17,065 awards (15.2%)
Grants 6,154 awards (5.5%)
Other 5,712 awards (5.1%)

Comparison to National Average

Metric South Carolina National Avg Difference
Per Capita Spending $26,788 $15,647 +71.2%
Contracts Share 0.0% - -
Grants Share 0.0% - -

Top Federal Agencies in South Carolina

Federal agencies ranked by total spending in South Carolina during FY2025.

# Agency Spending % of Total
1 Department of Health and Human Services $82.8B 60.4%
2 Social Security Administration $31.2B 22.7%
3 Department of Veterans Affairs $5.8B 4.2%
4 Department of Energy $4.4B 3.2%
5 Department of Defense $3.6B 2.7%
6 Department of Agriculture $3.0B 2.2%
7 Department of Transportation $1.8B 1.3%
8 Department of Education $1.4B 1.0%
9 Department of Housing and Urban Development $740.6M 0.5%
10 Department of Commerce $682.9M 0.5%

Top Recipients in South Carolina

Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in South Carolina.

# Recipient Total Awards
1 Department of Health Human Services $7.7B
2 Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC $2.0B
3 Social Services South Carolina Department $1.8B
4 South Carolina Department of Transportation $1.4B
5 South Carolina Department of Education $1.2B
6 Savannah River Mission Completion, LLC $1.1B
7 Executive Office of the State of South Carolina $559.0M
8 Central Electric Power Cooperative INC $464.0M
9 Adjutant General South Carolina $451.3M
10 Palmetto Gba, LLC $380.7M
11 Amentum Services, INC. $320.1M
12 Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC $312.2M
13 Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC $285.0M
14 South Carolina Department of Environmental Services $246.2M

Spending Trends

The latest annual comparison is +$6.8B (+5.2%) from FY2024 to FY2025; this is a difference in recorded award obligations, not a claim about cause or local benefit. Federal spending in South Carolina increased 2.4% from FY2020 to FY2025.

$100B$110B$120B$130B$140B FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025 $137B
Fiscal Year Total Spending Per Capita Population
FY2025 $137.1B $26,788 5,118,425
FY2024 $130.3B $25,464 5,118,425
FY2023 $123.2B $24,074 5,118,425
FY2022 $110.4B $21,563 5,118,425
FY2021 $124.9B $24,404 5,118,425
FY2020 $134.0B $26,171 5,118,425

Counties in South Carolina

46 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.

# County Total Spending Per Capita Population
1 Richland County $80.2B $192,829 416,147
2 Charleston County $5.1B $12,584 408,235
3 Aiken County $4.8B $28,549 168,808
4 Horry County $4.0B $11,512 351,029
5 Greenville County $3.9B $7,449 525,534
6 Lexington County $2.4B $8,070 293,991
7 Berkeley County $2.3B $10,111 229,861
8 Spartanburg County $2.3B $6,888 327,997
9 Beaufort County $2.0B $10,683 187,117
10 York County $1.8B $6,524 282,090
11 Anderson County $1.5B $7,499 203,718
12 Sumter County $1.3B $11,961 105,556
13 Dorchester County $1.1B $6,878 161,540
14 Pickens County $1.0B $7,711 131,404
15 Florence County $987.0M $7,201 137,059
16 Jasper County $830.7M $28,854 28,791
17 Lancaster County $745.4M $7,763 96,016
18 Oconee County $720.1M $9,161 78,607
19 Orangeburg County $708.1M $8,407 84,223
20 Georgetown County $658.2M $10,381 63,404
21 Kershaw County $632.3M $9,668 65,403
22 Greenwood County $528.7M $7,623 69,351
23 Laurens County $521.5M $7,722 67,539
24 Darlington County $503.1M $7,998 62,905
25 Clarendon County $500.7M $16,078 31,144
26 Marion County $474.2M $16,250 29,183
27 Cherokee County $384.3M $6,836 56,216
28 Newberry County $321.1M $8,512 37,719
29 Chesterfield County $308.4M $7,128 43,273
30 Colleton County $307.7M $7,971 38,604
31 Calhoun County $268.1M $18,988 14,119
32 Williamsburg County $255.3M $8,229 31,026
33 Edgefield County $246.0M $9,589 25,657
34 Chester County $243.8M $7,549 32,294
35 Union County $223.6M $8,206 27,244
36 Abbeville County $199.3M $8,203 24,295
37 Dillon County $198.0M $6,998 28,292
38 Marlboro County $183.2M $6,870 26,667
39 Fairfield County $181.0M $8,642 20,948
40 Mccormick County $163.6M $17,171 9,526
41 Barnwell County $150.1M $7,290 20,589
42 Hampton County $142.3M $7,667 18,561
43 Bamberg County $136.5M $10,257 13,311
44 Saluda County $129.9M $6,888 18,862
45 Lee County $127.8M $7,729 16,531
46 Allendale County $65.6M $8,163 8,039
DOGE impact for South Carolina → Per-capita rankings → Why spending varies by state →

States With Similar Per Capita Spending

States with per capita federal spending closest to South Carolina's $26,788.

Alaska

$25,101 per capita

$18.4B total

Virginia

$24,807 per capita

$214.1B total

Indiana

$30,517 per capita

$207.1B total

Guam

$31,490 per capita

$4.8B total

Pennsylvania

$21,653 per capita

$281.6B total

Compare South Carolina to another state side-by-side →

States with similar total federal spending

Nearest nationwide peers by total obligation volume ($137.1B here) - a different axis from the per-capita neighbors above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does South Carolina rank nationally in federal spending?

South Carolina ranks #9 of 57 on per-capita intensity ($26,788) and #11 on absolute volume ($137.1B) in FY2025.

Which federal agencies spend the most in South Carolina?

The top federal agency spending in South Carolina is Department of Health and Human Services with $82.8B. Followed by Social Security Administration ($31.2B) and Department of Veterans Affairs ($5.8B).

How much federal spending did South Carolina receive in FY2025?

South Carolina received a heavy absolute book of $137.1B in FY2025 ($26,788 per capita; population 5,118,425).

How does South Carolina's federal spending per capita compare to the national average?

South Carolina's $26,788 runs 71.2% above the $15,647 national average (rank #9 of 57).

What is the largest category of federal spending in South Carolina?

The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 55,618 awards (49.7% of tracked awards). The second-largest is direct payments at 27,410 awards.

How many counties in South Carolina receive federal spending?

46 counties in South Carolina receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is Richland County with $80.2B.

How has federal spending in South Carolina changed over time?

Federal spending in South Carolina increased by 2.4% from FY2020 ($134.0B) to FY2025 ($137.1B).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and presented.

Verify with USASpending.gov → Verify population with U.S. Census Bureau →